Levi w



(No Model.)

' 1 L. W. LOMBARD.

- 4 ELECTRIC SHUTTLE MOTION FOR LOOMS.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894 UNITED STATES LEVI W. LOMBARD, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO B. F. SPINNEY PATENT OFFrcE.

AND J. N. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC SHUTTLE-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,089, dated February 6, 1894.

Application filed March 23, 1893. Serial No- 467,350. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, LEVI W. LOMBARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts have invented a certain new and useful Electric Shuttle-Motion for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of looms in which the shuttle is constructed to operate as an armature and an eleotro-magnet or magnets is employedfor carrying the shuttle along the'shuttle race or path.

My invention is designed especially for application to circular looms, but in some of its features is valuable in connection with looms wherein the shuttle reciprocates.

My invention consists firstly in the combination with a loom having the shed vertically disposed, of a shuttle constituting an armature, and a magnet or magnets arranged to support the shuttle in position above the angle of the shed in order to take the wear and friction off the warp.

Myinvention consists also in the combination with a shuttle constituting an armature, of an actuating magnet therefor acting upon the same at one side of the shed and a magnet at theIopposite side of the shed propelled by the magnetic reaction between itself and the shuttle.

My invention consists further in a method of operating a shuttle constituting an armature in a circular path in the shed by actuating the same by a magnet and balancing the centrifugal force by a magnetic force applied and adjusted to center the shuttle as hereinafter described.

I am aware that a magnet has been applied at the inside of the circumferential path of the shuttle but with such power or effect as to draw'the shuttle against the inner warp threads. In my invention there is a balance of the centrifugal and magnetic forces with the efiect of centering the magnetically actuated shuttle in the warp threads and'avoiding wear of the shuttle upon the same.

My invention consists further in the special combinations of devices hereinafter described and more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1,

other suitable material.

is an elevation of one side of a circular loom, embodying my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan of the parts.

The warp threads are indicated at a, the v shed at e, and the shuttle at A.

The manner of supporting the warp'threads, the cloth and the heddles or similar devices for operating on the shed are not herein shown as they may be of the ordinary construction.

The warp or shed is vertically arranged as shown and the shuttle is constructed to operate as the armature for a magnet or magnets so that it may be propelled through the shed by the movement of a magnetic field produced either by the movement of the magnet itself or by a shifting or change in the electric connections of an electro-magnet, to

produce a change in the position of the active The shuttle may constitute an armature by the attachment to it of a piece of soft iron or One or more pieces may be employed though in the present case I have shown a shuttle provided with two 7 pieces f, which may be applied in the form of collars or rings to the shuttle.

D, is a magnet arranged beside the shed and having its poles presented to the armature on the shuttle and arranged in a horizontal line parallel to the line joining the two armatures of the shuttle. The magnet serves alone or in conjunction with other devices to support the shuttle in the position above the angle of the shed, the strength of the field being, if desired, such as to take the weight of the shuttle entirely off the warp threads or to only partially support it.

The shuttle is here shown as provided with a wing or extension reaching down to the an- 0 gle of the warp threads and serving the purpose of laying the filling as it escapes from the shuttle. The magnet D, whose poles are presented to the armatures f, is preferably an electro-magnet supported on an arm ex- 5 tending from the rotary shaft B, and energized by coils connected to rings (3, carried by the shaft but insulated from one another. Connection with the circuit leading to a source of electricity for energizing the magnetis made by brushes bearing on the rings 0, and connected respectively with the circuit wir as t, Z, as well understood in the art. As the shaft B rotates, the magnet D will carry the shuttle around with itin obvious manner. It will be obvious further that the magnetism of said magnet furnishes an opposing magnetic force that tends to hold the shuttle in its place against centrifugal action whereby it may be prevented from striking against the warp threads at the outside of the race, this opposing magnetic force being properly adjusted with relation to the centrifugal action and any magnetic actuating force at the outside of the shuttles path, to balance the centrifugal force so that the shuttle being thereby centered in the warp threads will not engage with them at either side of the race.

To intensify the magnetic field which opcrates upon the armature shuttle for propelling the same, another magnet D, may be applied at the opposite side of the shed. This magnet may be excited or magnetized by induction, or in any other desired way, but preferably is provided with an exciting coil, the magnet being by preference of horseshoe shape as indicated. By this device the strength of the magnetic field brought to bear upon the shuttle armature is greatly increased, the lines of force being directed into or upon said armature, and the propelling force which carries the shuttle around as well as the sustaining force holding it in proper position above the angle of the shed, may be greatly increased. I preferably arrange the poles of the magnet D, with relation to the poles of the magnet D, so that a north pole of the one shall be opposite the south pole of the other,thereby more effectually centering the magnetism upon the shuttle armatures by forming a complete magnetic circuit. When the exterior magnet is employed, the interior magnet D, should be given superior power in order to counteract the centrifugal action as before explained.

In order to avoid the necessity of any special actuating mechanisms or attachments for carrying the magnet D, around with the shuttle, I propose to depend simply upon the magnetic reaction between the same and the shuttle so that as the shuttle moves around by the action of the magnet D,pulling it, the magnet D would be caused to follow. The magnet D, is in such case mounted upon a suitable carriage which traverses on a fixed track K, properly secured to an exterior frame. As will be obvious the necessity of making mechanical connection with the shaft 13, or similar driven shaft, outside the warp and cloth, is dispensed with.

To carry the circuit of the coils for the magnet D, to it, I propose to mount the two wheels of the carriage on shafts secured to an insulating hub H. The two shafts carry wheels indicated at I, and are insulated from one another by the said hub. The terminals of the magnet D, are connected respectively to the spindles or shafts carrying wheels I, and the rails K, which are also of conducting material are connected to the wires of the circuit supplying the current for energizing magnet D. As will be understood the rails K, should be insulated from one another in any proper manner. As will be obvious this manner of mounting the magnet and conveying the current thereto may be employed with any means for causing the magnet itself to move, whether such means he magnetism of another magnet as hereinafter described or any other mechanism independent of that which moves the inner magnet.

It will be obvious that the principle of my invention is applicable to a circular loom in which a number of shuttles may be simultaneously operated by magnets mechanically rotated inside the circle formed by the shed.

It will be obvious that that part of my invention which consists in arranging the shed vertically and employing magnetism to hold the shuttle in proper position above the angle of the shed, may be used in other forms of loom besides circular looms and that the principle is not confined to cases where the moving magnetic field for propelling the armature is produced by bodily moving a magnet, but is applicable to any case wherein a shifting of magnetism along the shuttle race or path is used for operating on it, or might be used even in cases where the magnets were entirely stationaryand other means employed for operating the shuttle.

While I have shown one way of applying the magnet to counteract or oppose the centrifugal action, I do not limit myself to the particular disposition shown, since my invention consists broadly in balancing the centrifugal force by a magnetic force properly applied and adjusted to center the shuttle in the shed so that it will not be drawn with any considerable force against the warp threads at either side of it.

By the term armature as herein used, I mean any construction by which the shuttle may be caused to move under the influence of electricity or magnetism without having actual contact with any part.

By the use of two pieces of iron f, and cor responding poles, the shuttle may be better centered in its path, but as before explained I do not limit myself to any particular num ber of armature pieces for the shuttle. The magnet D, might be carried along by any mechanism, but I prefer to use the magnetic reaction between the same and the shuttle as already explained. The operation of this feature of the invention does not depend upon the particular Way in which a shifting or moving magnetic field is caused to progress along the opposite side of the shed to carry the shuttle along.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a loom, the combination of avertically arranged shed, a shuttle constituting an armature, and a magnet supporting the same in position above the angle of the shed, as and for the purpose described. a

having poles presented to the side of the shed,

armature in its circular path in the shed, consisting in actuating the same by a magnet and in balancing the centrifugal force by a magnetic force applied and adjusted as described to center the shuttle. I

5. In a circular loom, the combination with the shuttle constituting an armature, of two magnets arranged at opposite sides of the vertical shed, and means for causing said magnets to travel in a circular path along the shed, as and for the purpose described.

6. The combinationina circularloom, of a shuttle constituting an armature, an electromagnet D, mounted on a rotary frame and and conducting rings 0, for making electrical connection with the coil of said magnet, as and for the purpose described.

7 In a loom,the combination with ashuttle constituting an armature, of a vertically disposed shed, an insulated carriage, rails there for and an electro-magnet mounted upon the insulated carriage and having connection with a source of electricity'through the carriage wheels and rails.

8. The combination in a loom, of a shuttle constituting an armature, a vertical shed, a magnet D, at one side of the shed propelled by any suitable mechanism, and a magnet D, at the opposite side of the shed mounted on a carriage and propelled by the reaction between itself and the propelled shuttle.

9. The combination in a circular loom, of a shuttle constituting an armature, and two' horse-shoe electro-magnets mounted within and without the circular shed and having their poles presented to the shuttle, as shown, so as to form a closed magnetic. circuit.

10. In a circular loom, the combination,substantially as described, of a horse-shoe mag-,

net D, mounted on a suitable rotary shaft, av

shuttle A, constituting an armature, an exterior horse-shoe magnet D, and a carriage supporting thelatter, as and for the purpose described.

11. The combination with the shuttle constituting an armature, of a magnet mounted on a suitable carriage or traveling support and propelled by the magnetic reaction between itself and the shuttle and a second magnet energizing the shuttle. I

Signed at Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts, this 226. day of March, A. D. 1893.

LEVI W. LOMBARD.

Witnesses:

W. H. HODGES, H. N. SWEET. 

